What's Up Ranger?
by mybrowneyes
Summary: Burg Grapevine Hollywood Challenge. Ranger has some making up to do when he helps Stephanie with a skip.


Just borrowing JE's characters and no money from them.

What's Up, Ranger?

Ranger was pacing back and forth in the small rose garden inside of Trenton Park. Stephanie agreed to meet him here, but now he was thinking she changed her mind and was going to stand him up. Not that he didn't deserve it. He thought back to how this crazy situation began and why his Babe was mad at him. He really put his foot in his mouth.

Ranger offered to help her with a skip, he wasn't dangerous, but there was a high reward in it and he wanted Stephanie to get it. Where these crooks come from he'll never know. There was a rock and gem show at Quakerbridge Mall and of all things for a crook stole a collection of igneous rocks. Not quartz, topaz, or turquoise, but old igneous rocks. Ralph 'Thumbs' Dempsey swiped a bunch of volcanic rocks.

He was caught, but the rocks weren't recovered at the time of his arrest, so now he and Stephanie were after him and the missing rocks that happened to be valued at over $5, 000, 000 because of the Kimberlite, a rare volcanic rock which was a source of diamonds. It they were so valuable why did the dumb collector display them at the mall. Well, not only did he collect the rocks but he played them for people. He just finished playing 'Yankee Doodle', when Dempsey grabbed the case right off the table. He had two thumbs on one hand. Is Trenton the assembly point for rejects of the world?

Grandma Mazur informed Stephanie that her ears in the 'Burg' rumor hot line told her 'Thumbs' was going to sell them at the Sunday flea market at the old drive-in. He had an early morning site inspection so Ranger would meet her there. He parked at one entrance and she parked her used 1996 Daihatsu deck van at the other so the entrances were covered.

They met up at Mooner's 'Archie', 'X-Men', and 'Superhero' comic book stand with Ralph Dempsey in their sights, but he also saw them. He took off with the stolen igneous rocks in the case. Grandma tried to stun him as he ran her way but he was too quick for the old woman. Edna got a man selling chicken on a stick walking through the crowd of people.

Thumbs stole a motorcycle from a man at a booth and being her car was closer, they would follow the thief in it with Stephanie driving because it was her car. Somehow Grandma Mazur kept up on her bony chicken legs and was buckled in the backseat for the chase.

"Babe! Watch out!" Ranger kept yelling.

The motorcycle was zigging and zagging, making quick turns, and almost knocking down a few people walking and jogging. A poor Poodle fainted on the sidewalk.

"You're making me nervous, Ranger!"

They were swerving and turning down streets following the crook and the precious volcanic rocks on the motorcycle as close as Stephanie could get to him.

"My knees are in the dashboard!" Ranger yelled scrunched in the front passenger seat.

"It get's 40 miles to a gallon!"

"It's a 3 cylinder! What do you expect! I hope no one see me in this piece of shit!"

Stephanie shot him daggers with her blue eyes focusing back in front of her. "You can get out, you know!"

"It's a death mobile!"

"It's a classic. It's over 10 years old and I can get the skips in and out easy with the sliding door!" Stephanie yells back at Ranger.

"It's a piece of shit death mobile!"

Grandma shrieks "Turn! He's getting away."

They turned down an alley and the motorcycle went through something that a group of people were holding up. Stephanie floored it and followed right through it.

"_**I can't see!" **_Ranger let out.

Stephanie says very calmly focused on the motorcycle in front of them looking out the small opening. _**"**__**There's nothing to see really, we're inside a Chinese dragon."**_

"Ain't that a pip?" Grandma whooped. "Wait till I tell the girls about this!"

Somehow Ranger was able to reach out the window and grab the green paper dragon tossing it over the roof. "I'll be replacing a Chinese dragon!"

"He went through it first!" Stephanie snapped. "Hold on!"

Sliding sideways slightly, she makes a quick turn and another one pressing the gas pedal to the floor. Ralph comes flying out of a side street turning the motorcycle to avoid Stephanie's van and slams into a set of garbage cans.

Ranger jumps out, "I want out of this thing!" pulling 'Thumbs' out of the garbage. He gets him cuffed and puts him next to a cheering Grandma.

"I'm driving!" Ranger commands. "Women drivers!" he mutters.

"Oh really!" Stephanie yells back. "Eat my Daihatsu dust, you Macho Ass!"

The little black van lurches forward and takes off down the street leaving Ranger standing there calling for a ride and Stephanie gesturing out the window. He must be really in trouble because he never saw a hand signal like that. Grandma Mazur at least waved. Ranger took off after Stephanie because an angry mob of dragon people were coming his way. "BABE!"

Stephanie wouldn't answer her phone when he called. It took two days of Ranger calling to get her to answer. She finally agreed to meet him at the rose garden in Trenton Park. Someplace neutral. So now he was waiting with a bouquet of flowers in a rose garden.

Ranger heard Stephanie behind him. He turned around seeing she was talking to a teenager with earphones in their ears, "Yeah, I'm a bond agent and research analyst. No, not with the Plum Bail Bonds- Rangeman. Yes, I'm hoping to work again with Carlos Manoso. Have you heard of him? Yeah, the Bad Ass with the Macho! What's up, Ranger?"

"_**Did you know that I love you? "**_

"_**Yes." **_

"_**Really? "**_

Ranger smirks at his Babe kissing her lips.

"_**Look, I'm sorry about what I did," **_he tells her sheepishly.

"_**Let me tell you something. Love means never having to say you're sorry."**_

"_**That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, **_Babe**_." _**

Stephanie smiles against his lips, "I know, but it works in Trenton."

From 'WHAT"S UP DOC?' 1972

Stephanie's van: a link is on my profile


End file.
